infallibly turn through the Potomac all the commerce
of Lake Erie, and the country west of that, except what may pass down
the Mississippi; and it is important that it be soon done, lest that
commerce should, in the meantime, get established in another channel.
Having, in the spring of the last year, taken a journey through the
southern parts of France, and particularly examined the canal of
Languedoc, through its whole course, I take the liberty of sending you
the notes I made on the spot, as you may find in them something,
perhaps, which may be turned to account, some time or other, in the
prosecution of the Potomac canal. Being merely a copy from my
travelling notes, they are undigested and imperfect, but may still
perhaps give hints capable of improvement in your mind.

The affairs of Europe are in such a state still, that it is impossible
to say what form they will take ultimately. France and Prussia, viewing
the Emperor as their most dangerous and common enemy, had heretofore
seen their common safety as depending on a strict connection with one
another. This had naturally inclined the Emperor to the scale of
England, and the Empress also, as having views in common with the
Emperor, against the Turks. But these two powers would, at any time,
have gladly quitted England, to coalesce with France, as being the
power which they met everywhere, opposed as a barrier to all their
schemes of aggrandisement. When, therefore, the present King of Prussia
took the eccentric measure of bidding defiance to France, by placing
his brother in law on the throne of Holland, the two empires
immediately seized the occasion of soliciting an alliance with France.
The motives for this appeared so plausible, that it was believed the
latter would have entered into this alliance, and that thus, the whole
political system of Europe would have taken a new form. What has
prevented this court from coming into it, we know not. The unmeasurable
ambition of the Emperor, and his total want of moral principle and
honor, are suspected. A great share of Turkey, the recovery of Silesia,
the consolidation of his dominions by the Bavarian exchange, the
liberties of the Germanic body, all occupy his mind together, and his
head is not well enough organized, to pursue so much only of all this
as is practicable. Still, it was thought that France might safely have
coalesced with these powers, because Russia and herself, holding close
together, as their intere